1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording and reproducing apparatus provided with a probe memory having a positioning mechanism to be mounted on a recording and reproducing head using a plurality of probe heads.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a general HDD (Hard Disk Drive) system, a disk-shaped recording/readout disk is rotated at a high speed by means of equipment such as a spindle motor. A rotatable arm is disposed in the vicinity of this reading/readout medium. At a tip end part of the arm, a probe head section is provided for carrying out recording/readout relative to a recording face of the recording and reproducing disk.
Specific patterns going from the center of the disk to the periphery thereof are recorded in this recording/readout disk. These specific patterns are feedback information (servo patterns) for positioning of the probe head section. The probe head section swings the arm by means of equipment such as a voice coil motor, based on the positional information obtained from the feedback information, and is moved to a specified recording/readout position.
In addition, a probe memory device is known as a device having a different storage mechanism. For example, in Japanese Patent No. 3105987, there is proposed an information recording and reproducing apparatus including: a smooth recording medium fixed to an XY direction coarse movement mechanism; and one probe head disposed in opposite to a recording face of the recording medium and fixed to an XY direction fine movement mechanism, the medium and the probe head moving in a two-dimensional direction to carry out data recording/readout.
In this probe memory device, in the case where a recording capacity is increased or a recording/readout speed is increased, a movable range or a moving speed is limited in one probe head. Thus, it is considered to employ a number of probe heads to meet the demand.
In the case where a number of probe heads are disposed in a matrix manner, for example, a plurality of probe heads made up of probe head columns must face at the same time or continuously to a plurality of portions (extremely small recording areas) to be recorded/read out, and thus, high positioning precision relative to an XY direction is required.
With respect to this positioning, for example, in JP-A 9-26427 (KOKAI), a positioning apparatus is proposed for carrying out relative position control between a probe head and a stage. This positioning apparatus is provided at a scaling section formed in the shape of saw-tooth having constant pitches all around a recording area (recording face) of a square-shaped recording medium fixed on a stage, and a position detecting probe head is made proximal thereto. The position detecting probe head is fixed to a probe side substrate that moves in an XY direction by means of a laminate type piezoelectric actuator. This positioning apparatus detects a displacement by means of probe heads that are proximal to four scaling sections.
As in the positioning apparatus disclosed in JP-A 9-26427 (KOKAI) described previously, a mechanism in which a recording medium is supported by an elastic member is proposed as a mechanism that relatively moves between a recording medium and a probe array. A support mechanism supported by this elastic member is divided into two sections, i.e., a first configuration in which an elastic beam is disposed in a placement face of the recording medium and a second configuration in which an elastic beam is disposed in a thickness direction of the recording medium.
In order to respond to a requirement for further downsizing or increasing a storage capacity, the recording density of a recording medium is made high. Thus, a positioning mechanism for carrying out precise positioning of a probe array or decreasing a dead space is required.